Banjo structure



C. PARKER.

BANJO STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30, 1920.

Patented July 11, 1922.

,WITNES INVENTOR 2% v CALVERT PARKER 1 5% Br PATENT OFFICE CALVERTPARKER OF KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

BANJO srnuorunn Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1922.

Application filed October 30, 1920. Serial No. 420,669.

ToaZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, CALVERT ,PARKER, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of Keene, in the county of Cheshireand State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and Improved BanjoStructure, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- actdescription.

This invention relates to a banjo and has particular reference to a newand improved banjo structure which results in a much improved and richertone and includes simple adjustable means whereby the qualityand volumeof the tone may be readily varied at will.

An object of the invention is to provide a banjo structure in which bythe provision of a simple and improved arrangement of parts, the tone ofthe banjo may be improved in quality much above the tone of those now inuse.

Another object resides in a particular arrangement and construction ofthe parts of a banjo which greatly enhances the volume of soundresulting from the playing of the banjo as well as providing a readilyadjustable means for the quality of the tone.

A' still further object resides in the con struction of the rim andsounding board of the banjo so that the sounding chamber between theboard and the skin head is made practically moisture proof, thusenabling the head or skin to be kept at the proper tension better thanwhere both surfaces of the head are exposed to the climatic changes.

A still further object resides in the particular construction andarrangement of parts described and claimed hereinafter and shown in theaccompanying drawing.

In the operation of banjos hitherto known, the sensitiveness of the skinhead to climatic changes and the impossibility of readily varying thevolume and quality of the tone produced by this actuation has limitedthe operation of these instruments. My invention provides means wherebya new and improved form of sounding board is built in as an integralpart of the rim structure and provided as well with a simple adjustingmeans whereby both the quality and the volume of the tone of the banjomay be quickly and easily varied.

The invention as illustrated in the drawingwof whichigure 1 representsan inverted plan view of the banjo.

Figure 2 represents a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 22of Fig ure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 3-3 ofFigure 2.

As illustrated in the drawing the invention is appliedto banjos having aneck portion 1 of the usual type. To this is fastened or connected inany well known manner a rim portion 2 which is made up of a plurality oflaminated strips of wood 3 suitably fastened together in any well knownmanner preferably by being glued together. Extending across the rim 2between the rear of the rim and the neck portion 1 is a dowel post 4.

A skin head 5 of the usual type is stretched across the upper edge ofthe rim 2 and adjustably clamped thereto by a clamping device comprisinga circular ring 6 and adjustable screws 7 which are well known means fortightening the skin head on banjos. i

In the ordinary type of banjo, the space below the skin head is open,the vibration of the skin head being transmitted through the rim anddowel post to the neck and thus contributing to the vibrating partswhich produce the volume of sound. I intend to increase the volume ofthe sound produced by the playing of this banjo by building into the rimportion a solid sounding board 8 preferably made of any suitable woodenmaterial which extends completely across the opening below the skinhead. The upper ends of the laminated rim portion 3 are cut away toprovide a flange portion such as 9 upon which the sounding board 8 mayrest. The remainder of the rim is then built on top of the ends of thesounding board forming an integral structure. Between the upper face ofthe sounding board and the lower face of the skin head a stationarytoning device 10 is disposed. This toning device extends a suitabledistance transversely of the main axis of the banjo and is provided withthree points in its upper face such as 11, 12 and 13 which contact andbear against the end side of the skin head and has correspondingcontacting surfaces below the above mentioned points in contact with theupper face of the sounding board. The pressure or tension of the skinhead is sufiicient to keep this toning device 10 in place although itmay, if desired, be glued in place. Beneath the sounding board 8 andextending between the sounding board and the upper face of the dowel.post l is an adjustable tone regulator let. This in the form of aU-shaped member having downwardly extending arms 15 and 16 on oppositesides of the dowel post to hold it in place. It will be readily observedthat as the adjustable tone regulator post 14 is moved "forward alongthe dowel post at with respect to the stationary toning device 10, thecharacter of the vibration of the sounding board 8 will be varied andthus the volume and quality of the tone produced in the banjo will alsobe varied. The space heneath the skin head 5 and the sounding board 8designated by the numeral 17 constitutes a sounding chamber whichfurther enhances the production of the required volume of sound. Theusual strings 18 are suitably connected'to a tail piece 19 and pass overthe usual bridge 20. It will be apparent that thesounding board 8,without departing from the spirit of the invention, can beplaced belowthe dowel post 4.

lVhat I claim is 1. A banjo comprising a rim, a neck, a dowel postextending from the neck across the rim, a skin head disposed across oneface of the'rim, a sounding board built into the rim and completelyclosing the space beneath the skin head, said sounding board lyingbetween the dowel post and the skin head and an adjustable toneregulating device located between the dowel post and the sounding boardto control the vibration of the sounding board.

2. A banjo comprising a rim, a dowel post extending across said rim, asounding board disposed adjacent the dowel post and adjustable meansextending between the sounding board and the dowel post for controllingthe vibration of the sounding board.

A banjo comprising a rim, a skin head stretched across the rim, a dowelpost extending across the rim, a sounding board closing the openingbeneath the rim and lying between the skin head and the dowel post, atone regulator disposed between the sounding board and the skin head andan adjustable tone regulator disposed between the sounding board and thedowel post.

i. A banjo comprising a rim portion, a skin head stretched across oneface of the rim, a sounding board built into the rim and completelyclosing the space below the skin head, a dowel post extending across therim on the outside of the sounding board, a tone regulating bar disposedbetween the skin head and the sounding board, said tone regulating barextending transversely of the axis of the banjo and having a pluralityof points contacting with both the sounding board and the skin head andan adjustable tone regulator disposed between the sounding board and thedowel post.

5. A banjo comprising a rim, a sounding board extending across said rimand adapted to vibrate during the operation of the instrument, a dowelpost extending across the rim beneath said member, and an adjustabletone-regulating device disposed between the dowel post and said memberand bearing against said member.

CALVERT PARKER.

